Drums. Percussion and More

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Nic Thornsberry

Drum Instructor

The Basics:

I teach Drums, have a very solid background in music but more importantly I view percussion instruments as a vital part of music and strive to be musical - not just loud. I teach Drum set, percussion, snare drum, "bells", orchestra percussion and percussion marching band instruments.

I have been doing this for some time now and use a facility that also has a real stage -with lights and works great for performances with a band. I also have private a teaching area that is spacious and well equipped with real drums - not Vdrums or practice pads - the real deal.

I have three locations that I teach from Denver West, Ken Caryl Ranch and Highlands Ranch.

I teach students of all ages - but let's be realistic here for a moment - I teach students who can reach the instrument, can read and have a desire to learn the instrument. I'm serious about this form of artistic expression and take students who are as well.

What do I expect of a student? Desire to learn, regular practice on the instrument and a genuine love of music. The rest is just details and repetition but it all starts with desire.

Ok so these are the basics - now go ahead and read the long version to find out more about me as well as my teaching philosophies.

Note to Parents of Drum Students: The process of learning drums can be loud and tedious for those not seated behind the drum set. The faster a student goes from being a creator of noise to a creator of music the more comfortable the listener becomes. I stress practice and create a solid path to attain that moment when listening to random noise becomes a solid beat - one you might be tapping on your desk at work throughout the day.

About Me

I am 20 year old drummer from Littleton, CO . After receiving a drum set for Christmas, I started playing the drums at the age of 10 and quickly fell in love with the instrument. At age 12, I started studying with local teacher Chad Hodges (Glenn Miller Orchestra, Foghat, Eddie Money) who introduced me to jazz and fusion music as well as developing my speed and technique.

Throughout middle school and High school, I received many awards performing with Jazz, Symphonic and Marching Bands, as well as performing with my own Rock and Jazz groups outside of school. In 2007 I received a scholarship to the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music under the direction of Lynn Baker and began studying with Mike Marlier. While at Lamont, I was given the opportunity to perform in Big Bands, Wind Ensemble, a variety of different jazz combos, and share the stage with greats such as: Ken Walker, Eric Gunnison (Carmen McRae), Greg Gisbert (Buddy Rich Band, Maria Schneider) and many others.

I have performed at many notable venues including: Dazzle (world’s top 100 jazz clubs), The Hi-Dive, Boettcher Concert Hall, Invesco Field at Mile High, Quixote's, Herman's Hideaway, Stampen Jazz (Stockholm, Sweden), DisneyLand and Red Rocks Amphitheater. I have been exposed to a variety of music during my career and try to be as versatile as I possibly can. I currently play many styles of music including: Jazz, Fusion, Funk, Big Band, Latin, Rock, Metal, Hip-hop, Classical Percussion, as well as 4 years experience playing with drum lines.

Currently, I perform regularly in some of Denver’s best venues with Funk/Rock band “Bemused” as well as jazz gigs and side projects. I play Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo Heads and Vater Sticks.

Teaching Philosophy

I have been teaching drums since I was 16 years old. Over the years, this has given me a wealth of experience with students younger and older than me. My goal for every student I teach is to identify their goals in the first lesson and understand where they would like to go with their music. Since no two students are alike, I want to make sure that I keep their goals in perspective and give them every opportunity to grow and succeed. Periodically I continue to speak with each student to see if their goals and needs change so I can adjust my lessons accordingly. I strive to train musicians, not just drummers, and make sure that each student has solid fundamentals to be a tasteful and creative player.

Some key ideas I Stress:

Solid Background of Technique and Rudiments:

• Like the alphabet for our language, rudiments are the alphabet for drumming. I utilize books and exercises to ensure each student has a gasp of rudiments as well as proper technique. Playing with the right technique is crucial because in order to sound the best, we need to hit the drum properly and make sure our technique doesn't’t hurt us!

The ability to Read and Interpret Music:

• I make sure that every student can proficiently read music and is able to identify musical situations as they come up in a piece of music.

Solid Time Keeping is Key:

• As drummers our primary goal is to keep good tempo and lay a solid foundation for the musicians we play with. This all starts with a good sense of tempo and the ability to play with a metronome. I teach each student to play with a metronome and drive home the idea that they need to play with one every time they practice.

We are Artists:

• The basis of my teaching is to make sure that my students look at the drums like an outlet for their creative expression and play with emotion and feel to compliment the music. I give each student proper fundamentals and exposure to an array of music which allows them to express their creativity on the instrument.